Fuel economizer



25, 1934. B. M. GOLDOFT El AL 1,974,865

FUEL ECONQMIZER Filed Jan. 25, 1 932 2 Sheets-Sheet l P 1934- B. M.GOLDOFT El' AL 4 1,974,855

FUEL ECONOMIZER Filed Jan. 25. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wvg Patented Sept.25, 1934 mm srA'ras PATENT? ornca Application January 25, 1932, SerialN0. 588,786

1 Claim. (Cl. 137-152) The object of this invention is to provide anintemal-combustion engine with a simple attachment whereby the fuel thatis taken in through the carburetor will be augmented by hydrocarbonvapors sucked out of the crank casing and by damp air derived from theatmosphere and the ing idling and starting of the engine but will bringthe supply back into usewhen the engine is run- ,ning under load, asmore fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings annexed; 29 Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofacommon form of water cooled internal combustion engine having myattachment connected thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view in detail oi theatomizer.

Fig. is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line E5-5 of Fig.

Referring to ,the drawings by reference characters, ill designates aring or block clamped between the outlet of the usual carburetor and thelower end of the vertical member of the intake manifold. Formed radiallyin this ring is a fuel passage 11 which is controlled by a manually adjustable needle valve l2. Communicating with the inner end of thepassage l1 and lying wholly within the ring it is a perforated tube 13which receives the mixture oi fuel as it leaves the afore said passage11. This tube has one end set in a recess is formed in the inner wall ofthe ring and its other end supported on a screw plug 15 tapped q intothe ring 10 at the opposite side. limited to upper side of theperforated tube 13 is a series of blades it annularly arranged in themanner of propeller blades and provided with numerous perforations. Thispropeller-like fixed perforated diaphragm is circular in shape andapproximately fits the internal diameter of the ring 10.

in a. boss 1? formed on the ring 10 is a lateral pwsage it whichcommunicates with the passage 11. Une end of this passage is closed by aremovable plug is and the other end is tapped to receive $5 theaforesaid plug 19 or the threaded end of a nipple 20. This nipple 20receives a mixed stream of fuel and dampened air through the medium ofthe following devices:

A small bore tube 21 is connected to the crankcase of the engine at apoint above the oil level 00 therein, and a. similar tube 22 isconnected to the water jacket or other part of the water system of theengine at a point below the normal level of the water therein so thatthis pipe 22'shall always be filled with water. The water pipe 22 dis-95 charges a minute quantity of water onto a sponge! 23 enclosed in anupright conical casing 24, the tube 22 being connected to the cover 25of this casing by means of a valve casing 26a in which is mounted amanually operable needle valve 27, the purpose of this valve beingto-govem the amount of water'delivered onto the sponge. The cover isprovided with one or more air holes 26. The lower, discharge end of theconical cup 24 is threaded onto the upper end of a T-coupling 28. Thesponge 23 rests on a perforated diaphragm 29, and the bottom of theconical cup is provided with a drain-hole 30 adapted to drain off anysurplus water that may drip past the diaphragm 29. To prevent water, aswater running down into the T-coupling 28, should there be a surplusfeed of water from the pipe 22, we provide an upstanding pipe 31 withinthe sponge cup, this pipe 31 being desirably extended upwardly to apointnear the diaphragm to thereby insure nothingbut dampened air enteringthe upper open end of this tube Ill.

The tube 21 is connected to the other, depending end oi the T-coupling28, and the lateral branch 32 of this IF-coupling is connected to theaforesaid nipple 20 through the medium of an automatic valve which is soconstructed that when the intake manifold is subjected to a high vacuum,(as in idling and in starting) this valve will be completely closed tothus put out of commission entirely the auxiliary source of fuel andthus perwit the idling and starting adjustments to be more accuratelymade and maintained than would be possible if the auxiliary fuel supplywere in commission all the time. As soon as the engine is running underload and the vacuum in the intake is therefore reduced by the opening ofthe usual throttle, the valve automatically opens to permit theauxiliary devices to go into operation.

The aforesaid automatic valve consists of an open-ended tube 33 havingone end tapped into the outer. end of the nipple 20 and its other endclamped against the nipple 32 by means of a swivel-sleeve 3d screwedonto said nipple 32, the shouldered outer end of this sleeve 33 engagingI press the piston into closed position. Normally the spring 39overcomes the spring 40 and thus holds the valve in open position. Oneor more slots or perforations 41 are formed in the tube 33, within thesleeve to permit the incoming stream of fuel to pass around the valvewhen the same is in open position.

When the engine is running under load conditions, the suction will notbe sufficient to close the valve 35 and the suctionof the enginetherefore will draw into the perforated tube 13 a mixed stream of dampair and vapors from the crankcase and thus insure the same being mixedwith the stream of fuel coming up through the carburetor. In this way,we not only get rid of the crank-case odors, but make use of the same asa part of the fuel charge of the engine. The mixing of a stream ofdampened air with this auxiliary supply of fuel increases the mileagewith a given quantity of fuel coming up through the carburetor. Theneedle valve 27 is kept adjusted to virtually a bleed position, so thatwater will pass this valve only under suction, and even then only aminute quantity is drawn down through the supply pipe 22, so that at notime will the air carry enough water vapor to interfere with the properoperation of the engine. The function of the long coil spring 39 is tohold the valve 35 open except under the excessive suction in the intakemanifold which occurs while idling and starting. The function of thelighter coil spring 40 is virtually to start the piston valve on itsclosing Kill movement, to insure against sticking; without this startingspring 40 the valve would be pushed against the spider 37 with theresult thatit might not promptly respond to heavy suction and wouldtherefore remain open all the time.

A feature. of importance is the atomizer mounted in the uptake of theintake manifold. The perforations in the tube 13 insure a mixed streamof fuel entering the manifold in a plurality of jets underneath theperforated blades, and the perforated blades insure a thorough mixtureof the two streams of fuel (one coming up from the carburetor and theother coming in through passage 11) and also a thorough and very finecomniinution of the water particles to the end that in the enginecylinders under the intense heat of the explosions these particles willperform their usual function efiiciently, and therefore augment thehydrocarbon fuel.

It will be observed that the inner end of the long spring 39 bearsagainst an outwardly facing shoulder in the nipple 20, and thattherefore by screwing the valve-tube into and out of the nipple thestrength of the spring may be varied to suit the 39 is all that issufficient; that is to say, it is not p r icular engine in which thedevice is applied; and-this adjustment may be maintained by a lock-nut42 adapted to jam against the outer end of the nipple 20. The adjustmentof this spring so necessary, to also adjust the anti-sticking spring 49.f

In accordance with the provisionsof the patent f i statutes, we haveherein described the principle of operation of our invention, togetherwiththe apparatus which we now consider to represent-"the bestembodlments'thereof, but we desire to have it understood thatthe'apparatus disclosed is only illustrative and that the invention canbe carriedout by other means. Also, while it isdeslgned to use thevarious features and elements in the combinations and relationsdescribed, some or these may be altered and others omitted and some; ofthe features of each modification may be em bodied in the others withoutinterfering with the 1 more general results outlined, and the inventionextends to such use. In addition.to the forego-- i} log new results itwill be observed that we literally burn as fuel the crank-case odors andare thus enabled to do away with the necessity of a: special appliancefor getting rid of said odor Also we reduce carbon formation, first by amo complete burning of the gasoline because ofour atomizer and alsobecause the water vapor ca ried in with the air keeps the carbon that isjmfi" formed in a soft condition and thus precludesor: minimizes carbonformations. Also because of the] thorough manner in which we remove thegasoline from the crank-case, dilution of the crank-case v oil isreduced to a bare minimum. Because of the 139 heat of the engine most ofthe gasoline coming down from the cylinders is vaporized before it getsinto the oil so that by reason of the constant suction action wewithdraw and make use of all this gasoline vapor. It will be understoodalso that valve 12 is adjusted so as to allow the oil vapor and thedamped air to enter the manifold in proper proportions and thisadditional fuel so enriches the carburetor mixture that it makesitnecessary to re-adjust the carburetor to meet the 20 new condition, withconsequent cutting down of to close the valve being weaker than theother spring, this weaker spring being arranged to surround saidguide-pin and press at one end against v the piston-valve and at theother end against said guide, conduit means being provided whereby thegaseous fuel may pass around said pistonvalve when the same is open.

BYRON M. GOIDOFT. JOSEPH ROSCOE.

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